Film developing apparatus



Aug. l2, 1941. L, HQRNER 2,252,259

FILM DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1940 (6,1? i4 /6 l /a IN VENTOR.

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 FILM DEVELOPING APPARATUS Carl L. Horner,Bellevue, Pa., assignor of one-half to Robert D. Kreider, Mauch Chunk,Pa.

Application June 26, 194), Serial No. 342,565

(Cl. 95-9ii) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for use in developing and xingphotographic lms and is designed primarily for handling the film outsidethe dark room after lit has once been placed in the device, withoutdanger of being exposed to light.

Another object is to provide a new and novel form of tank for receivinga lm holder and a treatment liquid, it being possible to supply liquidto and remove it from the tank while the lm is located therein andwithout permitting the film to become light-struck.

A further object is to provide a closure for the tank which serves bothto exclude light and support the film holder.

A still further object is to provide a nlm holder of simple constructionin which a length of film can be placed readily, this holder serving tohold the film during the several steps of developing,

xing, washing and drying, so that it need be handled solely while beingplaced initially in the holder and while being removed after drying.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invent-ion as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing- Figure l is a vertical transverse section through thetank with the film holder shown in elevation therein, parts being brokenaway.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure l.

Referring to the gures by characters of reference, T designates a tankformed of any suitable material which will not be aifected by lmtreatment liquids. It is preferably rectangular and proportioned toreceive a holder in which a :dat strip of film has been placed. The opentop of the tank has its front and back walls I extended along upwardlydiverging planes as at 2. Thus they cooperate with the parallel sidewalls 3 to form a funnel-like inlet 4.

The bottom 5 of the'tank has a drain opening 6 normally closed by aremovable plug 'I of rubber or the like and at the top of one of theinclined walls 2 there can be provided a pivotally mounted ring 8 bywhich the ltank can be suspended from a hook or the like.

At points near the inlet 4 the walls I are formed with zig-zag grooves Gpressed outwardly thereinto and substantially parallel, the upper endportions 9 of each groove being located well above the lower end portionIIJ.

Removably mounted in the tank is a holder H. This includes a. plug IIpreferably of soft rubber proportioned to fit snugly in the upperportion of the tank. It is adapted to bridge the intermediate portion ofthe grooves G so that only the end portions thereof are left uncovered,the lower ends being below the plug and the upper ends above the plug.The plug has slots I2 in its ends and secured to and extending upwardlyfrom the plug is a stem I3 which can be provided with an eye I4 or thelike.

The plug, when in closing position, engages a seat I5 which can beformed of upwardly inclined strips of material joined at their loweredges to the walls I and 3 while its free upper edges engage the seatedplug and are adapted to press thereinto to form a seal. The grooves Gextend between these strips.

Gppositely disposed channeled members I6 are seated removably at theirupper ends in the slots I2 and are joined near their ends by cross rodsIl, thus forming a rigid frame. These members I6 are spaced apart toreceive the side edges of a dat strip of lm and, to facilitate insertionand removal of the film, the front wall of each channeled member I6 isremoved at its upper end to provide inlets I8 for the endwise insertionof the Iilm.

While the device is in a dark room, the lm to be developed is insertedendwise into the members I6 so as to lie flat therebetween. The completeholder H, including plug II and the frame formed by members I E and I1,is then inserted into the tank with the plug engaging seat I5. I'he tankwith the enclosed film can then be taken from the dark room and thedeveloping iluid poured into the funnel like inlet 4. From this it willdrain through grooves G into that portion of the tank below the plug.Thus the supported lm will be submerged. After the development has beencompleted the tank can be partly inverted and the liquid drainedtherefrom. Thereafter the Washing and fixing fluids can be poured intoand removed from the tank in the manner described and in propersuccession, the nal washing being effected by removing plug l andallowing water to flow freely through the tank. Finally the holder Hisremoved, thus withdrawing the lm from the tank and it can then besuspended by stem I3 from a hook or the like until the film is dry. Thefilm thereafter is removed from the members I6 by sliding it upwardlythrough the inlets l1 and is then ready for printing.

It will be noted that the zig-zag grooves exclude light rays at alltimes during the treatment of the iilm so that the only time a dark roomis necessary is while the film is being placed in position in the tank.

The space above the closed plug ll can be used to measure theapproximate amount of liquid to be delivered into the tank.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the class described including a tank having an inlet andzig-zag grooves in opposed Walls below the inlet, a removable plugseated in the inlet and bridging intermediate portions of the grooves,and means suspended from the plug for engaging and holding the edgeportions of a lm.

2. Apparatus of the class described including a tank, a seat therein, ameasuring inlet portion on the tank above the seat, there being groovesin opposed walls of the tank extending above and below the seat andhaving offset end and intermediate portions, a plug removably vengagingthe seat and bridging intermediate portions of the grooves, and afilm-engaging frame depending from the plug.

3. Apparatus of the class described including a tank, a seat therein, ameasuring inlet portion on the tank above the seat, there being groovesin opposed walls of the tank extending above and below the seat andhaving offset end and intermediate portions, a plug removably engagingthe seat and bridging intermediate portions of the grooves, and anlm-engaging frame depending from the plug, said frame including opposedconnected channeled members each having a portion of its wall removed toform a lm inlet, the upper ends of the members being removably seated inthe ends of the plug.

CARL L. HORNER.

